Convener for the Forum for Governance and Justice, Dr Clement Apaak has expressed dissatisfaction at the new directive that was issued by the Supreme Court in connection to the method used for cross-examination by lawyer Tony Lithur, counsel for President John Dramani Mahama.

President of the presidential election petition panel, Justice William Atuguba, directed that the court will no longer accept the cross examination method of Tony Lithur, stating emphatically that Mr. Lithur should list all the pink sheets he has issues with.

Speaking to the issue on Radio Gold’s “Alhaji and Alhaji” progamme, Dr. Apaak was of the opinion that lawyer Tony Lithur, was doing the right thing by trying to punch holes in the evidences presented by the petitioners; hence there was ‘actually no need for the new directive’.

“What is the motive for this new directive of how the cross examination should be done? If I am the lawyer and I believe this is the best way to punch holes why should you try to constraint him? I find this recent directive a bit strange and I hope that the rest of our justices would be firm in maintaining their standards and should not be swayed by whoever, neither the petitioner’s nor the respondents or the public. We would like to see an expeditious process and to bring this case to a conclusion as soon as possible,” he said.

He indicated that the new idea of trying to set new directives as the case goes along; ‘I don’t think it is very helpful. I hope this will be the last and that hence forth the process will flow’

He however, indicated that there is the need for all to be circumspect on the way ‘we speak about this issue’.

“My own belief is that nothing is going to change; at the end of the day we are going to benefit because it has given us the chance to test our constitution in a way that we could never had anticipated,” he added.